The Characteristics of Northern Italian Food

Ethnic cuisines all over the world offer a vast variety of different flavors and foods. If you were to take a trip around the world and sample each country's local specialties, you would find variations in the same dishes from region to region. Much of this has to do with the products available in that particular area such as vegetables,grains,wild game, and livestock. Coastal areas worldwide for example tend to incorporate fish and shellfish into their dishes as they have close access to the product.

Italy is a great example of this culinary diversity. Northern Italian cuisine offers a distinctive style and flavors that differ from the central and southern areas in several ways such as less use of pasta and more polenta ,beans and rissoto. The sauces tend to lean more towards cream, cheese and butter based,rather than the classic use of tomatoes by their neighbors to the south. They also include wild game such as quail,duck and rabbit as they are indigenous to the area. French and German influences can be seen in the cooking here as both countries are at the borders. As in much of Europe, wine is an integral part of the dining experience in the kitchen and on the table as well. The love of life here is reflected in the rich,flavorful food served.

In the coastal Veneto region the kitchens would be utilizing the fish, clams, eels, and shrimp that are readily available. In Liguria, another seaside area, the olive oil is exceptional from the other northern parts so they pride themselves in their Pesto sauces. With such an abundance of fresh seafood its not surprising to see sardines, anchovies, sea bass, and a variety of shellfish used in their recipes. The northern part of Italy especially Romagna and Piedmont raise cattle, lamb, and hogs so the dishes there celebrate and showcase it. The preparation methods vary but they like to slow cook and stew these with less tomatoes like thier southern counterparts and instead use more stocks and wine as thier liquids. The sausage and ham produced here are exceptional and is integrated into many of the Northern Italian specialties.

The uses of aromatic herbs,white truffles, and distinctive cheeses are a tradition here due the close proximity to France. Hearty soups and stews are punctuated by the various seafood and wild game available in that area. Local recipes and techniques of food preparation have been passed down through generations through necessity and preference allowing the rest of the world to experience and enjoy this distinct cuisine.

Whether your a visitor or a cooking enthusiast Northern Italian cuisine has much to offer!!